Aluminium PC chassis specialist Lian Li has launched another such chassis with a reverse airflow design. The new mid-tower design is hewn from brushed aluminium and is called the PC-A51. Apparently this new PC case has been designed by committee and Lian Li says that's a good thing as it offers "a conglomeration of user feedback and Lian Li's time-honed expertise and engineering capabilities". It seems like this Taiwanese manufacturer has been very democratic of late as the user community was conspicuously consulted over the design of the recent Mini-ITX PC-Q33 chassis.
Let's look at the key features of the Lian Li PC-A51. Firstly, the 'Reverse Airflow Design' simply pulls air in from the back of the PC via a 120mm filtered fan. In the PC-A51 the air is then expelled from the case using a 140mm fan, just above the front-mounted PSU.
Another highlight of the new Lian Li Mid-Tower design is an all-new versatile HDD/SSD mounting system. This system allows many useful permutations of HDDs and SSDs while minimising any hindrance to airflow within the case.
Looking at the components you can fit inside the PC-A51 we are told that graphics cards up to 400mm in length fit easily within and you can also utilise CPU coolers up to 175mm tall and PSUs up to 160mm. To further cool your components Lian Li have made fitting a liquid cooling system easy by providing a tool-less front panel allowing for 240/280mm radiators and AiO cooling kits to be fitted.
Finally, for your convenience, there is a front I/O panel with four USB 3.0 ports and audio I/O and a 'stealth bay' for a 5.25-inch ODD.
Lian Li PC-A51 Specifications:
- Case Type: Mid Tower Chassis
- Dimensions: (W)230mm, (H)393mm, (D)489mm
- Colour: Black, Silver, Internal Black(A51WX), Red & Black(A51WRX)
- Material: Front bezel Aluminum, Side Panel Aluminum, A51WX/A51WRX (Transparent), Body Aluminum
- Net Weight: 4.9kg
- 5.25" drive bay (External) 1 with Cover (C-02-1)
- 3.5" drive bay (External) None
- HDD bays: 3.5-inch HDD x5 or 2.5-inch HDD x5
- Expansion Slots: 7
- Motherboard: ATX, Micro-ATX
- System Fans: Front 140mm Fan, Rear 120mm Fan, Top 140mm or 120mm Fan x2 (Optional)
- I/O Ports: USB3.0 x 4, HD Audio
- Maximum Compatibility: VGA Card length: 280mm – 400mm(Max), PSU length: 160mm, CPU cooler height:175mm, 240mm or 280mm Radiator, Cable Management Space: height 30mm
- PSU: ATX PSU (Optional)
Lian Li informs us that the four colour versions of the PC-A51 will be priced as follows; PC-A51A (silver) / PC-A51B (black) – ₤95, PC-A51WX (internal black w/ window) – ₤128, PC-A51WRX (red and black w/ window) – ₤140. The PC-A51A, PC-A51B and PC-A51WX will be available in the UK at the beginning of March but you will have to wait until the end of April for the red & black version.
